Chris Froome and Geraint Thomas will not be flying the flag at the world championship road race later this month – because they are cooked.

Both of Team Sky's big guns had been included in Great Britain's original long-list for the mountainous course in Innsbruck.

But instead of turning up and producing half-baked performances to end a tumultuous season in anti-climax, Froome and Thomas have yielded to fatigue and withdrawn.

Four-times Tour de France champion Froome, who won the Giro d'Italia in May, admitted: “I'm not where I need to be to do a world championship course like that. I think there would be guys in a lot better shape to do a job than me.

“Having done the Giro and the Tour, to try and stretch the season all the way to the worlds... it just wasn't going to happen.”

Thomas and Froome have pulled out of the Tour of Britain squad (Image: AFP)

Va Va Froome and Thomas both completed the Tour of Britain, effectively an extended lap of honour, with the traditional London circuit, and cycling's Prince of Wales admitted he was “suffering like a dog for an hour and a half out there.”

Neither was in any condition to contest the general classification, won by France's Julian Alaphilippe, but Thomas had earlier made a big statement of intent to build on his triumph at Le Tour by signing a new three-year contract with Team Sky, worth up to £4 million-a-year.

And Froome warned: “It's not competition – it just makes the team stronger. It's something to worry about for our rivals. Now they've got to race two of us, not just one.”

Team Sky's riders lead the pack at the start of the first Tour of Britain stage last week (Image: AFP)

Thomas, who became Britain's third winner of Le Tour in July after Sir Bradley Wiggins and Froome, said: “It really is one big, happy family where my relationship with Team Sky is concerned.”

Principal Sir Dave Brailsford said: “Geraint has made sacrifices to reach the very top of his sport – and it's all proved to be worth it.

“He's achieved his dream of winning the Tour de France, but there's so much more ahead for him. He's been with us since the start of our journey and and he's continued to improve year-on-year.”

Tour de France champ Thomas is getting a rest (Image: AFP/Getty)

Meanwhile, Simon Yates extended his overall lead to 26 seconds on stage 15 of the Vuelta Espana to keep Britain on course for a clean sweep of wins in all three Grand Tours.

There are five competitive stages remaining in Spain and Froome said: “It would be pretty special if three different Brits won all three Grand Tours, and Simon came pretty close in the Giro so it would be massive for him.

“But it's a tough race and he's got some big opponents left out there – let's see how the next few days go.”